Itanagar: Scientists have identified two new species of frogs from Arunachal Pradesh, underscoring the state’s largely unexplored biodiversity.
The newly described species — Leptobrachium somani (Soman’s Slender Armed Frog) and Leptobrachium mechuka (Mechuka Slender Armed Frog) — belong to the slender armed frog genus Leptobrachium. The findings were published on January 9 in the international peer-reviewed journal PeerJ.
Globally, 39 species of the genus are known, with only four previously reported from India. The discovery adds significantly to the country’s amphibian records.
The research was carried out by A N Dikshit, Akalabya Sarmah, Sonali Garg, Tage Tajo, Radhakrishna Upadhyaya K, James Hanken and S D Biju, representing the Systematics Lab at the University of Delhi and the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University.
According to the study, the new species were identified during a review of recent field collections using DNA sequencing, morphological characteristics and behavioural observations.
Both frogs belong to the Leptobrachium bompu species group and exhibit clear genetic distinctions, confirming their status as separate species.
Specimens were collected from the Lower Dibang Valley and Shi Yomi districts, areas noted for dense forests and extensive river systems.
Leptobrachium mechuka is named after the town of Mechuka in Shi Yomi district, while Leptobrachium somani honours veteran journalist E Somanath, a former senior special correspondent of Malayala Manorama.
Welcoming the discovery, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein called it a proud moment for the state.
In a social media post, he said the findings highlight the rich and still unfolding biodiversity of Arunachal Pradesh and reaffirm the ecological importance of its forests and river ecosystems, while underscoring the need to protect fragile habitats.
Experts said the discovery reflects the vast and largely unexplored biological wealth of the state.
